Ashgabat earthquake commemorated by theatrical performance

The Alp Arslan National Drama Theater held a performance of the play ‘Halk hakydasy’ to commemorate the 78th anniversary of the Ashgabat earthquake. Based on a work by playwright Gadam Kakabayev, the production depicts the devastation that occurred in the early hours of October 6, 1948.

The play recreates the destruction of a women’s student dormitory at an Ashgabat university, which housed students from various former Soviet republics, including Uzbeks, Kazakhs, Kyrgyz, and Russians. Production designers Batyr Bekmuradov and Mekan Annamuradov were responsible for the stage design.

In addition to honoring the victims, the play highlights the heroism displayed by the people of Ashgabat during the disaster and aims to provide the audience with information on how to behave during unforeseen natural disasters.